How to Use a Rocket Mass Heater to Cook & Heat Off-Grid
Learn how to heat and cook off-grid with a rocket mass heater, and why this is an even more energy-efficient solution than a traditional wood stove!
This is a guest post by Sunflower Craig of Permies.com
For many, wood heat and wood burning stoves conjure up nostalgia and cozy feelings. After reading this, next time you think of wood heat, youโll also think of the words โeco-friendly,โ “affordable” and โefficient,โ (and maybe even “pizza!”) If you’re searching for a strategy to save money and protect the environment without having to sacrifice luxury, wood heat is the way to go.
A particularly eco-friendly choice, wood heat uses a renewable fuel source. Wood, in contrast to fossil fuels, has the potential to be an endless supply. If we keep forests healthy and keep planting trees, people can use wood for warmth for centuries to come. Despite naysayers and vocal activists, combining good woodland practices and an extremely efficient wood stove could actually have a negative carbon impact.
Wood heat is frequently more cost-effective than other forms of heating, such as gas or electricity. Surprise! Not only can you save the environment, but you can save money by using wood heat to warm your house.
So what is the best way to heat your home with wood? If you’re lucky enough to have a wood-burning fireplace or a wood stove, those are the most well-known and conventional methods for heating your home with wood. But have you ever heard of a rocket mass heater?
A rocket mass heater has one tenth the carbon footprint of a conventional wood stove. Rocket mass heaters allow you to both heat your home and cook in an efficient manner that is good for the environment and that doesn’t rely on the power grid. Not to mention, as energy costs continue to rise, rocket mass heaters offer a more affordable solution to keeping warm.
What is a rocket mass heater?
There are a few variations of rocket heaters and cooking equipment, including rocket stoves, rocket ovens, rocket water heaters and, of course, rocket mass heaters.. The first and most basic version is the rocket stove, which is used primarily for cooking. A rocket stove can be as simple as using a tin can and some stove piping or stacking bricks to make a basic but highly efficient DIY rocket stove. Check out the video below for a step-by-step tutorial on how to build your own DIY brick rocket stove for outdoor or off-grid cooking. Alternatively, you can purchase a rocket stove for a pretty affordable price so you at least have it in case of an emergency.
Rocket mass heaters are the next level up from rocket stoves. They consist of a fire or burn box, an insulated combustion chamber that burns fuel at very high temperatures, and a thermal mass -typically made out of cobb and stone- attached to the exhaust pipe, which snakes through the thermal mass before connecting to the chimney pipe. Due to their highly efficient design, rocket mass heaters are more energy efficient and environmentally friendly than other types of wood heat; They burn at a higher temperature, emit practically no smoke at all, and charge the thermal mass around them. Not to mention, rocket mass heaters require much less fuel than conventional wood stoves or fireplaces. Some estimates even say rocket mass heaters can reduce fuel consumption by up to 90 per cent!
In the end, burning just a small amount of fuel for a short amount of time leaves your home nice and toasty for up to a day or more after youโve heated up your rocket mass heater. Given that they are smokeless, they can also provide a more discrete manner of heating your home. They are especially significant in that you can use whatever wood fuel you’ve got lying around: branches, twigs yard waste and other scrap burnables. You can even burn those astronomical heating bills;);)
After all, there is a heating crisis happening in many parts of the world; and this may well be a problem that will continue over the next few years. Heating costs are skyrocketing, leaving many people choosing between heating their home and buying groceries. But there is hope! You never have to heat your home the same, costly way again. Rocket Mass Heaters offer a solution for maximum efficiency and minimal pollution.
How does a rocket mass heater work?
Rocket mass heaters differ from wood stoves in that wood stoves typically heat up to around 1000ยบF, with much of the heat escaping up the chimney along with the smoke. The chimneys on wood stoves are highly insulated to allow for the high temperatures, which are needed to burn off the creosote that builds up in the chimney. Rocket mass heaters, on the other hand, have an insulated fie box and combustion chamber which not only allows the temperature to rise up to 1800ยบF, but also combusts all of the creosote as well as all of the smoke before it has a chance to escape through the chimney. The result is a warmer home, less energy waste and less smoke and creosote buildup in your chimney and in the atmosphere.
The exhaust pipes then travel through the thermal mass that’s attached to the rocket heater until finally escaping through the chimney piping. This thermal mass continues to radiate heat for many hours after the initial burn, which heats your home for longer using much less fuel.
In short, rocket mass heaters are more efficient than conventional wood stoves because they keep more heat inside your home.
Here’s a short video that illustrates exactly how this process works:
For a more detailed look into how rocket mass heaters work, Ernie and Erica Wisner, rocket mass heat pioneers, go into far more detail about the fire science involved in rocket mass heaters. They cover the science, but also the making of pocket rockets, the explosive properties of steam, and the most efficient rocket mass heater design of the time. (You can see this in the movie โBetter Wood Heat: DIY Rocket Mass Heaters.โ)
Other uses for rocket mass heaters
The applications of the rocket mass heater extend far beyond just heating your home.
Rocket mass heaters are versatile for lots of situations, including:
- a cozy place to sleep in a tipi
- a place to warm your butt around the campfire without smoke in your face
- a stove to cook on
- an efficient ways to heat your home
- a source for hot water
- even an oven for baking pie! Mmm, pie…
In the forums of Permies.com, members have created rocket forges, saunas, cooktops and smokers, water heaters and more, and have extended their growing season by using a rocket heater to directly heat their soil, or to heat their greenhouse.
At Wheaton Labs in Montana, rocket technology is pervasive. The folks at the lab have built a pizza oven which rivals even the best wood-fired pizza restaurants. They heat the water for their shower with the rocket water heater and have even figured out how to extend the gardening season with a rocket mass heater!
Australian alternative energy innovator Tim Barker built a stand alone rocket water heater, rocket oven and rocket griddle at the 2015 Rocket Mass Heater Jamboree at Wheaton Labs. Tim is well known for his safe and efficient rocket water heaters and has taught the appropriate technology course at Wheaton Labs in the past and now teaches Appropriate Technology at the Koanga Institute.
But letโs go back to that pie! If having a way to cook off-grid is important to you, our rocket oven DVDs show you in detail how to build your own rocket oven to cook or bake in. You can make your own wood-fired pizza, delicious pie, homemade bread, roasted meat, baked lasagna, cookies, cakes and more with a rocket oven. Learn more right here.
Good food, a nice warm home and clean, cheap, luxuriant heat. And the peace of mind of never having to worry about how to heat your home again.
If you’re ready to take a giant leap toward more energy independence and stop worrying about rising energy costs, power outages, emergencies and other threats to “the grid,” come visit us at Permies.com where we talk about about rocket mass heaters, off-grid living, homesteading, permaculture and more!
And if you’ve ever built or used a rocket mass heater before, be sure to share your thoughts or experience in the comments section below!
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For many, wood heat and wood burning stoves conjure up nostalgia and cozy feelings. But more importantly, wood heat is reliable, affordable and gives us the ability to heat our homes without relying on the grid or on other types of energy, which are currently in short supply.
While we typically think of wood stoves and traditional fireplaces when we think of wood heat, there is an even MORE efficient and sustainable way to heat our homes with woodโฆ
Introducing the Rocket Mass Heater: A slow release radiant heating system that consists of a fire box, an insulated combustion chamber that burns fuel at very high temperatures, and a thermal mass -typically made out of cobb and stone- attached to the exhaust pipe, which snakes through the thermal mass before connecting to the chimney pipe.
Due to their highly efficient design, rocket mass heaters emit more heat for longer than conventional wood burning stoves and fireplaces, and are more energy efficient and environmentally friendly than other types of wood heat.
They burn at a higher temperature, emit practically no smoke at all, and charge the thermal mass around them, which continues to emit radiant heat long after the fire goes out. Not to mention, rocket mass heaters require much less fuel than conventional wood stoves or fireplaces. Some estimates even say rocket mass heaters can reduce fuel consumption by up to 90 per cent!
If youโve thought about going off-grid or youโre simply looking for alternatives to expensive, unreliable electric heat and youโre in a position to build and install one of these bad boys at home, I highly encourage you to consider a rocket mass heater for your homestead, Earthship or otherwise humble abode.
Thanks to guest contributor Sunflower Craig from Permies.com for this insightful article on rocket mass heaters! Click the link in my bio @anna.sakawsky or go to https://thehouseandhomestead.com/rocket-mass-heater/ to learn more!
#woodheat #rocketmassheater #woodstove #energycrisis #alternativeenergy #homesteading #modernhomesteading #offgrid #sustainableenergy
โNot eating mushrooms is like not eating an entire food groupโฆ And a healthy one.โ
Mushrooms have had a bit of a bad rap in the west for a long time. Depending on the type of mushroom in question, theyโve either been regarded as something to turn your nose up at or even something to be afraid of.
But in recent years mushrooms have started gaining momentum as both medicine and superfoods, and with more and more people looking for natural alternatives to conventional (and often harmful) prescription drugs, psychedelic mushrooms are even being legalized and used in small (micro) doses to treat mental health issues with promising results.
The story of mushrooms and the entire fungi kingdom is as complex and captivating as the mycelium networks they fruit from, and the potential health and wellness benefits of adding more mushrooms into our diets and lives are only just beginning to be understood.
I sat down with Louis Giller of @northsporemushrooms for the winter issue of Modern Homesteading Magazine to talk all about the wonderful world of fabulous fungi, how to get started foraging or growing mushrooms at home (even if you live in an apartment!), and why mushrooms of all kinds (edible, medicinal and psychedelic) are rightfully having a moment right now.
If becoming more self-sufficient and optimizing your overall health and wellness is part of your master plan for 2023, mushrooms should definitely be a part of your approach.
Start by checking out my full interview with Louis in the winter issue of Modern Homesteading Magazine - Link in bio to sign in or subscribe.
And while youโre there, be sure to check out our feature on medicinal mushrooms, as well as our elevated mushroom recipes, all of which make perfect winter meals for your family table.
Link in bio @anna.sakawsky or head to https://modernhomesteadingmagazine.com
#mushrooms #medicinalmushrooms #eatyourshrooms #fantasticfungi #homesteading #modernhomesteading
When I first started growing my own food at home, the gardening world seemed pretty black and white to me: plants grow in the dirt, outdoors, in the spring and summer. Thatโs what us city kids always learned in school anyway.โฃ
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And obviously thatโs not wrong, but once you get into gardening and growing food, a world full of endless possibilities starts to open up, including growing food indoors year-round.โฃ
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Sprouts are considered to be a superfood because of how nutrient dense they are and when we eat them, we get the health benefits of all of those nutrients in our own bodies.โฃ
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If you live in a climate that remains colder half the year or more, sprouts can be an excellent way to get the benefits of gardening even when it's not "gardening season". โฃ
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I've got a full list of tips & tricks on growing sprouts indoors all year round that includes: โฃ
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-How to grow sproutsโฃ
-Different ways to use them โฃ
-Where to buy seeds and more! โฃ
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Visit this link https://thehouseandhomestead.com/grow-sprouts-indoors/ or check the link in my bio to see all the details.
Living a slow, simple life isnโt easy in this fast-paced world.
No matter how much I preach it to everyone else, I still struggle with the guilt, shame and โnot enough-nessโ that I feel every time I choose rest, relaxation, stillness, disconnectedness or being โunproductiveโ when I feel I SHOULD be working, hustling, moving, checking emails and being โproductiveโ (which is almost always).
We all know that our culture praises productivity and busy-ness, and most of us know itโs a scam that keeps us stressed, burnt out and focused on the wrong things in life. Ultimately many of us end up feeling unfulfilled even though weโre spinning our wheels every day working to keep up with the demands of the world and our never-ending to-do list. Most of us would rather be resting, relaxing, spending quality time with our loved ones and doing things that light us up rather than simply keep us busy. But itโs hard to break free from the societal pressure to do more, produce more, earn more, acquire more and ultimately BE more.
So while I still struggle with this daily, and I donโt have any easy answers for how to overcome this, I wanted to share that today Iโm choosing slow; Today Iโm choosing to be present in the here and now rather than worrying about yesterday or tomorrow; Today Iโm choosing snuggles with my baby boy over emails and deadlines, and while I still feel that guilt rising up inside me, Iโm making a conscious effort to remind myself that the world wonโt end because I chose to slow down today, and at the end of my life I wonโt regret taking this time with my son, but I might regret NOT slowing down to enjoy it.
I encourage you to apply the same thought process to your own life and give yourself permission to slow down and enjoy the gift of time youโve been given today. After all, you never know when it might be your last day. And if it were your last, how would you wish youโd spent it?
In the dark, bitter cold days of midwinter when weโve been deprived of quality time in the sunshine and the trees are all bare, it can be easy for almost anyone to feel depressed and to overlook the tiny miracles that are happening all around us.โฃ
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Signs of life abound, even in the dead of winter! โฃ
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Connect with nature and enjoy the little things to help beat the winter blues. Go for a walk in the woods or the park and really pay attention to the natural world around you. Watch the songbirds flitting back and forth, gathering winter berries. Look for signs of greenery and new growth; Maybe even some snowdrops or crocuses have begun to emerge from the ground where you live. โฃ
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If you're feeling the effects of SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) right now, please check out my full list of Natural Ways to Combat SAD and additional resources to seek out help from various care providers here https://thehouseandhomestead.com/natural-ways-treat-seasonal-affective-disorder/ or visit the link my bio. โฃ
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Spring is coming!
While most people run to the store every time they need something, you and I are not most people. Oh no friendโฆ We are modern homesteaders.โฃ
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Weโre a special breed, and one thing that sets us apart is that we are always thinking about preparing for the future and about stocking up when the things are abundant (and cheap!) which they aren't so much right now. โฃ
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When it comes to citrus fruits, if you live in a place where you can grow them yourself, then youโll probably have more than you can handle fresh when theyโre in season. Knowing how to preserve them will help ensure nothing gets wasted.โฃ
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Whether you're a seasoned homesteader or this is your first season preserving, I've got a hearty list of ideas of how to get the most out of your citrus fruits for the year to come! Visit the full list here https://thehouseandhomestead.com/12-ways-use-preserve-citrus-fruits/ or check out the link in my bio. โฃ
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What do you usually do with your extra citrus fruits? Have you tried any of these preservation methods?โฃ
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Let me know in the comments below!
Checking in on all my #homesteadpantrychallenge participants today :) โฃ
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During the pantry challenge I always find it pretty easy to make my way through the canned items. A side dish here, a breakfast there, but what about bulk items that we have on hand like bags of sugar and flour?โฃ
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Well have no fear, this bread recipe is a game-changer! Not only does it only require 3 simple ingredients (plus water), it can be whipped up in a bowl using an ordinary kitchen spoon and it comes out perfect every time. It will help you make your way through that 5lb bag of flour just sitting on the shelf, and it only takes a couple minutes to prepare. โฃ
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This is a really nice bread to dip in olive oil and balsamic vinegar or as part of a spread or cheese board. For the full recipe click here https://thehouseandhomestead.com/easy-no-knead-homemade-bread/ or visit the link in my bio. โฃ
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Let me know how it turns out and if you decide to add any herbs or other toppings to spice it up, I want to hear about it!
Iโve tried my hand at many skills and tackled my share of adventurous projects over the years. Along my homesteading and journey Iโve tried everything from candle-making to cheesemaking, sourdough bread to fermented vegetables, canning and dehydrating to rendering lard and more. When it comes to home medicine, Iโve learned how to make may useful concoctions, from herbal teas, tinctures and syrups to poultices, salves, ciders and more. But encapsulating my own placenta after the birth of our son was definitely a first, and by far my most adventurous โkitchen projectโ and foray into home medicine so far.
I have to admit, I was a bit squeamish at first, but Iโm fascinated by this kind of stuff and love learning skills that allow me to take my health and well-being into my own hands. I also love challenging myself to try new things and pushing myself out of my comfort zone.
A few of the possible benefits of consuming placenta after birth include:
โข Hormones in the placenta can improve mood and lessen symptoms of postpartum depression
โข Can reduce postpartum bleeding
โข Provides a natural source of iron and other micronutrients
โข Can help boost milk production
And did you know, around 99% of mammals are know to consume their placenta after birth? Only humans and marine mammals do not typically consume their placenta.
But more and more humans are opting to consume their placentas after birth to reap the potential health benefits. The most popular way to do so is through encapsulation.
First the placenta is steamed, then it is sliced thin and dehydrated before being ground up into a fine powder. The you add that powder into some capsules using an encapsulator and youโre done!
Iโve been taking 2 capsules 4x/day for the past week. Any real results are yet to be seen but I didnโt want to pass up the only chance Iโll probably get to try my hand at this home medicine project! I mean, you just never know when this skill might come in handy;)
So tell me, whatโs the most adventurous thing YOUโVE tried in the name of homesteading and/or natural health? Comment below and let me know!
Since the weather is often cold, dark and gloomy, there arenโt as many fun, free things to do outdoors, so itโs easy to blow your budget on other things that will help you beat cabin fever like eating out, going to the movies and even going shopping just for something to do.โฃ
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But the flip side to this is that, once January hits, many people are motivated by the fresh start the new year brings and are ready to hunker down for a while and get their finances on track after the holidays. So in many ways that makes winter the perfect time of year to adopt some frugal habits. โฃ
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Visit this link https://thehouseandhomestead.com/12-frugal-living-tips-for-winter/ or the link in my bio for the full list of Frugal Winter Living tips, and if you're already looking and planning towards Spring you'll also find more frugal living tips for every season linked at the bottom of the list!
Our#homesteadpantrychallenge is in full-swing and now that our little one has arrived, simple and frugal pantry meals are a necessity to ensure we are getting adequate rest and not overdoing it during these newborn days. โฃ
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When I'm staring at the pantry wondering what to make, I love referring back to this list for a little bit of inspiration for either bringing back an old recipe, or creating a new one. โฃ
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๐ช๐ต๐ฎ๐'๐ ๐๐ป๐ฐ๐น๐๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฑ: โฃ
Breakfastsโฃ
Soupsโฃ
Homemade Breadsโฃ
Main Dishesโฃ
Snacks & Sidesโฃ
Sweets & Treatsโฃ
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So whether youโre trying to save a little extra money on your grocery bill, or prioritizing rest this season these 35 frugal recipes will help you get good, wholesome, delicious homemade food on the table every day, which means you have one less thing to stress about. โฃ
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Check out the full list at https://thehouseandhomestead.com/frugal-recipes-roundup/ or visit the link in my bio. โฃ
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Eat well friends:)
I hope you had a wonderful and restful end of holidays, and are also feeling ready to get back on track with your daily schedule here in the new year. It can sometimes feel like a lot to get going, but those "regular days" help us to regulate our rhythms, and in turn help us slowly, gear up for the Spring season ahead. โฃ
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In our Winter Issue of Modern Homesteading Magazine, my friend and fellow homesteader, Ashley Constance of @alittleselfreliant wrote "Breaking Your Cabin Fever" a list of ideas for staying productive over the winter months. โฃ
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If you're feeling a bit restless and up to it, this list of ideas is a perfect way to get back into a daily routine. โฃ
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From making and creating, to preparing, planning and organizing you'll be feeling ready for Spring in no time. โฃ
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To see the full list, subscribe to Modern Homesteading Magazine here at https://modernhomesteadingmagazine.com/subscribe/ or visit the link in my bio.
Homesteading is a year-round lifestyle, andโฃ
for whatever reason, homesteading is most often thought of as a three-season โactivity.โ โฃ
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1. ๐๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐ต๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐ด๐ฆ๐ข๐ด๐ฐ๐ฏ ๐ฃ๐ฆ๐จ๐ช๐ฏ๐ด ๐ช๐ฏ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ด๐ฑ๐ณ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ. โฃ
2. ๐๐ข๐ณ๐ฅ๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฅ ๐ง๐ข๐ณ๐ฎ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐ด๐ฆ๐ข๐ด๐ฐ๐ฏ ๐ณ๐ถ๐ฏ๐ด ๐ง๐ณ๐ฐ๐ฎ ๐ด๐ฑ๐ณ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ณ๐ฐ๐ถ๐จ๐ฉ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ด๐ถ๐ฎ๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ณ.โฃ
3. ๐๐ข๐ฏ๐ฏ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฅ ๐ฑ๐ณ๐ฆ๐ด๐ฆ๐ณ๐ท๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐ด๐ฆ๐ข๐ด๐ฐ๐ฏ ๐ต๐ข๐ฌ๐ฆ๐ด ๐ถ๐ด ๐ง๐ณ๐ฐ๐ฎ ๐ด๐ถ๐ฎ๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ณ ๐ช๐ฏ๐ต๐ฐ ๐ง๐ข๐ญ๐ญ. โฃ
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So much of homesteading centers around preparing for winter. But what happens when winter finally arrives?โฃ
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Sure, we could just hunker down and relax, enjoy the fruits of our labour and rest until spring returns and the really busy seasons begin again. But the very nature of most homesteaders is that we tend to enjoy keeping busy. In other words, we tend to go a bit stir crazy sitting around on the couch for too long.โฃ
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Now, let me just make this clear before we continue: I think itโs VERY important to take time to rest whenever possible so that you can feel rejuvenated and be more productive when you really need to be, but if youโre looking for some (mostly relaxing) homesteading activities that you can do throughout the winter months to help keep you occupied, Iโve got a few suggestions for you:) โฃ
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My full list of winter homesteading activities can be found here https://thehouseandhomestead.com/winter-homesteading-activities/ โฃ
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Happy homesteading!
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